Tainted Technology: Forced and child labour in the electronics industry
- 1. Labour exploitation in Chinas electronics manufacturing What can be done? tainted industry Government, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and business initiatives can all play a role in addressing assist with developing safe and sustainable livelihoods and improving the health, protection and education of children technology forced and child labour in the electronics industry. A holistic development approach is needed, which takes and their families. When sourcing materials from high-risk areas, Australian Forced and child labour Half of the worlds electronics manufacturing takes place in China,16 where labour exploitation has been widely Reports exist of children being kidnapped or enticed with false promises of high wages.24 They are transported into account the fragile context of the place where forced and child labour is occurring. For example, any approach businesses should adopt international guidelines such as the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights in the electronics industry reported. Workers often receive little pay and are forced 17 to manufacturing cities where middle men brokers deal to addressing forced and child labour in DRC mines must to work excessive overtime to meet unrealistic production with factory owners to supply child labourers, offering to account for poor governance and the need for building up and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and quotas.18 In some factories, protective clothing and attend the factories to beat the children if they are seen to a more diverse economy. Development (OECD)s guidelines on responsible supply equipment is either inadequate or non-existent, resulting be disobedient.25 Children are then transported by trucks chains. Other industry initiatives such as the Electronic It is not an effective solution to simply stop buying from Industry Citizenship Coalition (EICC) and the Global in workers being exposed to hazardous chemicals and all over the region to work in factories, which may include places with a high risk of forced and child labour because The global electronics industry is big odours.19 Discrimination, verbal harassment and excessive electronics factories.26 They are threatened to prevent e-Sustainability Initiative (GeSI) also provide codes of the communities will end up in worse circumstances; business and is fuelled by intense competition punishment from factory management are all reportedly them from running away27 and work up to 12 hours in a facing a diminished income and other exploitative conduct to ensure ethical supply chains in the electronics industry. Key facts: common. 20 day.28 Many have no idea if and when they will be allowed situations. Companies have a responsibility to ensure to provide customers with the latest and In some of the most severe cases children as young as nine to return home to their families. Coltan, tungsten, tin, copper and gold are all that all their suppliers and contractors adhere to labour Finally, all companies should transparently report on their greatest electronic devices. This means as minerals used to make electronics.1 years old have been reported as working in factories standards that help improve conditions in the communities efforts to eradicate harmful practices so consumers can making electronics.21 Increasing labour they source from. Companies should also engage with be sure they are not indirectly supporting forced labour, consumers we can purchase our mobile The electronics industry is the single largest shortages in China have meant children from NGOs who run programs in mining communities that child labour or labour exploitation. phones, MP3 players, computers and other consumer of coltan, tungsten and tin sourced from poor, rural areas are targeted by labour the DemocraticRepublic of Congo and tainted with common electronics at a cheapprice. forced and childlabour.2 recruitment agents working for factories, including electronics factories.22 Recruiters Bonded labour: student interns However, there is a dark side to technology. China is the Democratic Republic of Congos largest may send money back to the childs family on a trading partner3 and half of the worlds electronics Research shows that exploitative labour monthly basis to convince parents to keep their child working.23 Reports exist of children being forced out of school to work as student interns or apprentices in factories manufacturing devices for well known electronics companies.29 What can you do? practices and some of the worst forms of manufacturing takes place in China.4 Some children must work to pay off debts owed for tuition Demand better behaviour from business! Before you make a purchase, educate yourself about the companys policies and child labour are often used to make our practices so you are satisfied it is working to combat exploitation throughout its supply chain. You can find information and school fees.30 If they express a wish to quit and return about a companys supply chain on their website or by contacting them directly. favourite electronic devices. Forced to their family, school administrators may threaten to fail and child labour has been reported them. They are forced to work long hours in order to meet large quotas and are paid very little. If children refuse For more information visit donttradelives.com.au in the mining of the minerals that overtime, they may be prevented from working for a month make our electronic components as punishment.31 Factory management may also threaten to withhold wages or confiscate identity papers if they attempt and also in the manufacturing of to leave.32 the devices themselves. 1, 5. (Verite 2011) Available from: http://www.verite. 7. World Bank (2007) Artisanal Mining in the DRC (Key 17, 18, 19, 20. China Labor Watch (2012), Tragedies org/Commodities/ColtanTungstenTin Accessed on: Issues, Challenges and Opportunities). Available from: of Globalization: The Truth Behind Electronics 15May 2012 http://www.ddiglobal.org/login/Upload/CASM-%20 Sweatshops Available from: http://chinalaborwatch. 2, 11, 12, 13. J Prendergast & S Lezhnev (2009) From ASM%20in%20DRC%20briefing%20note.pdf org/pdf/20110712.pdf Accessed on: 16 May 2012 Mine to Mobile: The Conflict Minerals Supply Chain. Accessed on: 15 May 2012 21, 22, 23, 28. Shanghai Daily, 12/02/12, Child Available from: http://www.enoughproject.org/ 8, 9,10. Pact Inc. (2010).PROMINES Study: labour claim at electronics plant probed Available files/publications/minetomobile.pdf Accessed on: 15 Artisanal Mining in the Democratic Republic of from: http://www.china.org.cn/china/2012-02/13/ May2012 Congo, Washington DC. Available from: http:// content_24620452.htm Accessed on: 16 May 2012 3. Pact Inc. (2010).PROMINES Study: Artisanal Mining in www.pactworld.org/galleries/resource-center/ 24, 25, 26, 27. China Labour Bulletin, 02/05/08, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Washington DC. PROMINES%20Report%20English.pdf Accessed on: Authorities attempt to play down Dongguan child Available from: http://www.pactworld.org/galleries/ 15 May 2012 labour scandal Available from: http://www.clb.org.hk/ resource-center/PROMINES%20Report%20English. 14. Global Witness (2009), Faced With a Gun, What en/node/100247 Accessed on 22 May 2012 pdf Accessed on: 15 May 2012 Can You Do? War and the Militarisation of Mining 29, 30, 32. Good Electronics (2006) Yonghong 4, 16. Gordon, Pamela J & Chanoff, Matt, China in the Eastern Congo Available from: http://www. Electronics, Shenzhen, China, Available from: http:// Electronics Manufacturing: Growth or Decline? globalwitness.org/sites/default/files/pdfs/report_en_ goodelectronics.org/publications-en/Publication_2300 Available from: http://www.techforecasters.com/ final_0.pdf Accessed on: 15 May 2012 Accessed on 16 May 2012 archives/china-electronics-manufacturing-growth-or- 15. International Labour Organization (ILO) (2012) 31. NY Times Examiner, 10/02/12, iEmpire: Apples decline/ Accessed on: 16 May 2012 About Child Labour Available from: http://www.ilo. Sordid Business Practices Are Even Worse Than 6. Pact Inc. (2010) Women in Artisanal Mining in the org/ipec/facts/lang--en/index.htm Accessed on: 22 You Think Available from: http://www.nytexaminer. Democratic Republic of Congo, Available from: http:// March 2012. com/2012/02/iempire-apples-sordid-business- www.pactworld.org/galleries/default-file/Women%20 practices-are-even-worse-than-you-think/ Accessed in%20Artisanal%20Mining%20in%20the%20DRC.pdf on: 22 May 2012 息 2012 World Vision Australia. World Vision Australia ABN 28 004 778 081 is a Christian relief, development and advocacy organisation dedicated to working with DONT TRADE LIVES FACTSHEET children, families and communities to overcome pover ty and injustice. Ref #6950
- 2. What is child labour? Child labour is work that deprives children of their childhood, their potential and their dignity; work that exceeds a minimum number of hours; From pit to purchase: work that is mentally, physically, socially or the supply chain of your electronics morally dangerous and harmful to children; and work that interferes with their schooling.15 Minerals in the Democratic Republic ofCongo Mines: Where the minerals that Trading houses: In the Democratic Republic of Congo there are numerous reports that forced and child make common electronics are Located in towns close to the labour is used to mine minerals5. extracted. There are many mines, they buy the raw products reports of forced and child from miners in various quantities Artisanal mining labour within these mines. and trade them with exporters. Subsistence mining is an important livelihood miners to work in dangerous conditions without source in the Democratic Republic of Congo pay.11 Child labourers are also commonly found (DRC). This is when people are not directly here.12 Children are sometimes forced to work employed by a mining company but work deep below ground breathing dusty air without independently in small-scale mines. Approximately protective equipment. Mine shaft collapses are 2 million people in the DRC make their living this common.13 Children are also used as porters and must walk for up to two days, carrying heavy Exporters: way6 and the conditions are incredibly bad. bags of minerals to airstrips where they can be They buy the desired quantities and export Many mine workers are from rural areas where transported by air to the capital, Goma.14 the products to overseas markets. they have limited livelihood choices.7 They endure the terrible conditions because it offers a greater income than other options available Transit countries: to them. For others it is the only trade they Exporters transport minerals know because the industrial mines they used using neighbouring country to work in have now shut down. Their work infrastructure, where the origin of can involve mining in complex underground the product is obscured. systems with no ventilation and little or no Refiners: protective clothing.8 As a result fatalities are Metal processing companies turn common. I C A minerals into metals. Once this In some places, children can represent a large F R occurs, it becomes impossible to A proportion of the total workforce.9 trace the origin of minerals. Democratic Republic Theirwork may involve heavy lifting and exposure to minerals, dust, chemicals of Congo Manufacturers: and radioactivity.10 Children often work in these hazardous conditions in order to Metals are used to manufacture help support their families. This hazardous electronic parts. Parts are labour can be extremely damaging to a childs then assembled into products. physical and mental health. Working long Consumer electronics Exploitative labour practices are commonplace within this industry. days can also prevent a child from attending companies: school, limiting their future opportunities and keeping them locked in a cycle of poverty. The branded product, recognisable by consumers, is put on retailers shelves Digging for hope and sold to the public. Conflict minerals There are well publicised reports of horrific This young girl (pictured) works daily with her and dusty and they have no protective clothing to conditions in mines controlled by local armed mother and four brothers and sisters, collecting stop them inhaling the dust. My husband is sick groups and militia. Predominantly found in the copper in a mining quarry in Kambove, DRC. in bed for two years now and nobody is assisting east of the DRC, they are reported to force The children and their mother dig and clean raw my family with food and soap, her mother says. copper to get it to a sellable quantity. They spend Working in the mines is the only way they can the day barefoot in the gravel pits, sieving and afford to buy food. cleaning through soil to find the copper. It is hot Photo: Alain Mwaku/World Vision